Google Play Store update adds review info and My Apps tab [Download]

We’re still trying to get used to the new Google Play moniker for the former Android Market, but Google itself is full steam ahead and has already released its forst notable update to the service. The 3.5.15 update to the familiar Vending APK doesn’t change things as drastically as the last one, but there’s still a few useful features you’ll want to check out, the first of which is the new My Apps section with tabs accessible by swiping right from the front page. The software should be rolling out to just about everybody in the next couple of days, but if you can’t wait, the guys at XDA have already put up an APK for one and all.

In addition to the aforementioned My Apps tab, reviews in the updated version offer a little more perspective. Users who have phone or tablet models recognizable to Google Play will show what model they’re using on an app review, giving some valuable feedback both to potential users and app developers. It isn’t perfect: custom ROMs sometimes gum up the works a bit, and reviews left via the web interface (where this feature has been active for some time) may not display a model either.

To install the new Market early, just download the APK from the source link above, copy it to your phone (unless you do a direct download) and install it via the standard non-Market method. Is that now “non-Google Play Store method”? Anyway, you don’t need root permissions or any particular version of Android to enjoy the new features. Those who don’t have forty seconds to spare should see the update come in automatically soon enough.